Felix Weingartner (1863–1942). Austrian conductor, also composer, and author. His career as a conductor began in 1884, and he held a series of appointments, successively at Königsberg, Danzig, Hamburg, Mannheim, and Berlin (1891–1907), and then succeeded Mahler after the latter had been forced out as director of the Vienna Hofoper in 1908, himself resigning in 1911 in the face of opposition from critics and the public, but retaining control of the Vienna Philharmonic concerts until 1927. Thereafter he held post in other cities until being appointed director of the Vienna Volksoper (1919–24). He again directed the Vienna Hofoper (Staatsoper) 1935–36. Despite his early association with Liszt, he has been considered principally a conductor of Classical composers, notably Beethoven. As a composer he wrote seven operas, six symphonies, two symphonic poems, and much chamber music. As an author he wrote books on interpretation of the repertory (Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann), on conducting, and memoirs. His Ratschläge für Ausführungen der Symphonien Beethovens (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1906) is cited in the “Secondary Literature” sections of the Ninth Symphony: Rothgeb trans., pp. 20 (“serious substantive efforts ... acquits himself to good advantage”), 51–3, 88, 104 (“makes the effort, which cannot be valued highly enough, to supplement the dynamic shadings on the basis of the sense of the composition ...”), 119–20, 135–6, 159–60, 176, 182 (“gives accurate guidance ... several corrections ... they are to be considered perfectly appropriate”), 222, 285 (“astute suggestions concerning stage arrangement ... good instinct”), 307–08 (“arrives at the only correct solution”), 316–19 (“rightly objects—it is just a pity that no reason is given!”), 330. Later, Schenker included the Ratschläge in his discussion of the Fifth Symphony in Der Tonwille, 5 (1923), and elsewhere in 3 (1922) criticizing him for conducting an all-French program (Eng. trans., vol.1, pp. 136, 198–201, 221). Early in his career, Schenker had written “Bülow–Weingartner” in 1895 (ed. Federhofer, Essayist, pp.171–75), a review of an article by Weingartner entitled “Ueber das Dirigiren” (1895), itself a reflection on an article by Wagner of the same title. There is no correspondence between Weingartner and Schenker, but several articles and concert programs survive in OC and OJ. For comments in Schenker's diary, see Federhofer, Nach Tagebüchern ..., pp. 267-68. Weingartner is mentioned in letters, including the following: WSLB 47, November 9, 1909 (Schenker to Hertzka: “fools like Mahler, Weingartner, Mottl”) WSLB 77, June 21, 1911 (Schenker to Hertzka) OJ 9/15, [3], June 6, 1933 (Bienenfeld to Schenker) (offers a meeting with Weingartner) ( NGDM; Baker’s 1971; and other sources) |
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| Felix Weingartner (1863–1942). Austrian conductor, also composer, and author. His career as a conductor began in 1884, and he held a series of appointments, successively at Königsberg, Danzig, Hamburg, Mannheim, and Berlin (1891–1907), and then succeeded Mahler after the latter... | |